Journal of CME (09/06/24) Simon, Lesley; Livingston, Alison; Tiamiyu, Khadijah; et al.

A pilot quality improvement and educational program aimed to increase knowledge about the co-occurrence of substance abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDS (SAVA) and its impact on women. Working with the Johns Hopkins HIV Women's Health Program, researchers developed the Optimizing Disease Management [ODM]: Finding the Invisible Patient program, seeking to both educate health care providers about SAVA so they can identify people with it and to develop a referral program to connect people who need additional treatment to the suitable care. Clinician knowledge of the syndemic is limited, the researchers note, and mental health conditions may contribute to additional adverse outcomes for women. The program focused on educating clinicians at Johns Hopkins HIV clinics, creating a screening protocol, and creating a referral network. The education component included two 30-minute live presentations held a week apart, with a webcast of the live presentations available for an enduring program. The program emphasized recognizing how substance abuse, violence, and depression affect patient adherence and quality of life in the setting of HIV/AIDS; reviewing screening for intimate partner violence, substance use, and depression in the clinical setting; and discussing appropriate referrals for care and how to overcome barriers to screening. In all, 60 learners participated in the live activities and 65 participated in the enduring activities. Participants in both groups reported substantial increases in knowledge and confidence in the three learning objectives, by 61% and 62%, respectively. Still, the researchers note that "until the HIV epidemic is over, women will continue to be impacted by SAVA, and continued education will be required to help clinicians identify women and others who require additional support and services."

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